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12 ways to stand out on LinkedIn

A strong profile on LinkedIn is a good way to attract business. Here are some tips to make the most of the network.

Connect carefully. Your network is only as valuable as the strength of your connections – don’t force them

Ask for introductions to people who might be interested in your work – you get five introduction requests with the free version of the site

Show examples of your work – videos are particularly engaging

Share your expertise, insights and personality – make yourself stand out from the crowd

Post, post, post. Set up a proper schedule for your updates

Request recommendations for your work and company

Join and actively participate in groups. They’re a great way to connect indirectly

Follow the company pages of industry peers, vendors, current and prospective customers

Use LinkedIn’s advanced searches to hone in on prospects indexed by industry, location, seniority and much more

Check which of your posts created the most impressions, clicks, and interactions, using LinkedIn’s Analytics. It’s worth taking time to analyse this: what content triggers an immediate response, at what time of the day do people respond, what conclusions can you draw?

Try targeted ads (you can pay based on clicks or impressions), or create an ad campaign as a sponsor. Name your campaign, then pick which of your updates you want to sponsor – this increases your reach by putting your content in front of people who don’t follow you

Consider investing in the new Showcase Pages, which are designed to spotlight a brand or initiative. A couple of the features include a 50% larger banner image at the top of the page and delivery of updates directly into the feed of your followers

Articles are written by independent journalists and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of O2.